Apple TV+ has long been the go-to for prestige dramas and cerebral sci-fi, but this July, the streamer is trading quiet monologues for explosive action. Lucky, a seven-episode limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy, marks a thrilling departure from the platform's usual fare—and it's about time.
What Is 'Lucky' About?
Premiering July 15, Lucky follows Taylor-Joy as a con artist on the run after a multi-million-dollar heist goes spectacularly wrong. She's pursued by the FBI and a ruthless crime boss played by Annette Bening, while also dealing with the return of her grifter father (Timothy Olyphant) and the husband who helped her pull off the job (Drew Starkey). Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays the agent hot on her trail, with Clifton Collins Jr. and William Fichtner rounding out the stellar ensemble. The first teaser alone delivers high-speed chases, flipped cars, and a healthy dose of arson—plus Taylor-Joy staring moodily into the distance in a bomber jacket that would make Ryan Gosling proud.
It's surprising it took this long for someone to cast Taylor-Joy as a full-blown femme fatale. She smoldered through The Queen's Gambit in silk robes, delivered entire scenes with just a look in The Menu, and drove across a post-apocalyptic wasteland in Furiosa with motor oil as makeup. Her face is built for secrets, capable of shifting from vulnerable to stone-cold killer in a single close-up. Lucky feels like the perfect vehicle for her talents.
Apple TV+ Takes a Bold New Direction
Apple's catalog has always leaned intellectual. Even its action-adjacent shows—like Slow Horses, Silo, or the watchable Hijack—tend to bury thrills under layers of lore and genre stylings. They're thinky shows with action as set dressing, allergic to sincere pulp. Sugar came closest to noir but was more interested in intellectual puzzles than physical confrontations. Lucky changes that. Adapted from a Marissa Stapley novel that became a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, the series trades tasteful drama for flipped cars and desert explosions.
This is a wild swing for a streamer still finding its marketing footing, and much of that swing is thanks to Taylor-Joy herself, who executive produces under her LadyKiller banner alongside Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter. What makes Lucky so intriguing is that both the platform and its star are stepping outside their comfort zones. Apple is embracing unapologetic pulp for the first time, while Taylor-Joy is headlining a series since The Queen's Gambit, blending her dramatic instincts with the action chops she honed under George Miller.
A Femme Fatale for the Streaming Age
What's most exciting about Lucky is the woman at its center. Lucky Armstrong is a grifter, a thief, and a woman with her own agency, appetites, and body count. The show asks us to root for her despite her choices, not because of them—a new territory for Apple, which has often framed its female leads through relationships, work, or grief. Stylistically, early footage suggests Apple is fully committing: the cinematography is glossy and sun-soaked, all dusty highways, neon motel signs, and aerial shots of cars tearing across the desert. It looks more like Drive or Hell or High Water than anything currently on the platform, a welcome departure from the muted blue-gray palette of Apple's dystopian house style.
If Lucky lands, it could signal that Apple is finally willing to take risks on pulpy, female-led, genre-forward storytelling—something that has thrived elsewhere for years. We've spent enough time watching streamers play it safe with women's stories. A genuine, unapologetic femme fatale show, with money behind it and a movie star in the lead, feels long overdue. For more crime thriller action, check out Stephen King's Supernatural Crime Thriller 'The Outsider' Haunts HBO Max Charts or Prime Video's 'Bishop' Adds 'Banshee' and 'Succession' Stars.
